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Sport Nation
FIFA World Cup 2026 poster'Lazarus' Santner back early as Blackcaps handed major Lord's lift
Sport Nation •  June 2nd, 2026 11:29 am
Captain Mitchell Santner took four wickets in Zimbabwe's second innings | Photo: AP
The Blackcaps have received an enormous boost to their hopes of tipping over England on their home soil with the early return of skipper Mitchell Santner.
The allrounder has recovered from a shoulder injury suffered during the IPL over a month ahead of his projected initial schedule, meaning he'll be available to lead the side in the opening Test at Lord's, which starts on Thursday (NZ time).Â
"When I did it, they were saying 12 weeks and I just said I'll come back in four," Santner joked with Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy.
"I think they're throwing that 'Lazarus' term around a little bit."
Coach Rob Walter faces some tricky selection conundrums this week, particularly in the bowling department, where he has essentially a full complement fit and raring to go.Â
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Blair Tickner and Nathan Smith each impressed in the emphatic win over Ireland in their one-off Test, putting the pressure on the likes of Will O'Rourke, Kyle Jamieson, and Matt Henry.
Across the fence, Brendon McCullum has already shown some of his hand, all but confirming captain Ben Stokes will move down the order to No. 7, shifting wicketkeeper Jamie Smith up to No. 6 in pursuit of their first win since their solitary fourth-Test victory during the one-sided Ashes series.Â
Spinner Shoaib Bashir will also return to the folds, after being overlooked for the trip to Australia.
Santner recognises the spotlight is always brighter when it comes to red-ball cricket in England, and says his team are simply keeping the focus on what they do best.
"There's obviously a little bit more noise when you come over here with Test Cricket and the English media," he said.Â
"It's a slightly different looking team but we know how good they are. A couple of new inclusions but the core's kind of still there.
"We'll try get a couple to nip down the slope when we're bowling and hit them when we batting."
The last time the two sides met in whites was in New Zealand in late 2024, when England prevailed 2-1 in the series.
Listen to the full interview below:
